Owen was preparing himself for Saturday’s first outing for his new club against Premier League champions Manchester City when, on Friday night, he spotted the man loitering outside his house on his personal security cameras.

But rather than panic, the former England striker did not sound at all concerned by the incident and instead found the whole situation amusing.

The 32-year-old tweeted ‘great TV tonight’ before relaying updates and pictures to his followers of the man’s increasingly obvious efforts to get in – little realising he was doing so in full gaze of Owen and the cameras.

Michael Owen’s front gate with the burglar’s green van and a police car in the background (Picture: Twitter)

‘Been watching some fella on my cameras for an hour weighing up what to nick,’ tweeted Owen.

‘Police came round while he hid in my woods – they then went and 5 minutes later he runs back to his van and hides in the boot!’

Police arrest the man after hiding in the back of his green van (Picture: Twitter)

‘Watched it all laughing my head off as the police returned to drag him out.’

Owen, who shares the mansion in North Wales with his wife and four children, thanked the police for their quick response once the saga was at an end.

‘Big thanks to the police, top notch,’ he tweeted once the burglar had been caught.